Student awarded for artwork

Friday, March 1, 2013

Kaitlyn Gagne, of Merrimack High School, won Honorable Mention in the 2013 Scholastic Art Regional competition with her drawing "Bird of Bermuda." Her teacher is Marcy Pope.

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Merrimack High School’s Kaitlyn Gagne was among hundreds of area students who won Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention in the 2013 Scholastic Art Regional Competition.

Gagne took honorable mention for her drawing “Bird Of Bermuda.”

The students’ works are judged first at the regional level and then at the national level. Works that receive Gold Key recognition at the regional level are automatically included in the pool of work that is judged nationally among Gold Key-winning work from across the country.

Submissions totaling 1,524 turned in by public, parochial and private schools in grades 7-12 competed for recognition in the Scholastic Art Awards of New Hampshire on Jan. 12-13, as this program recognizes the importance of fostering creative expression and artistic achievement in schools. The program celebrates its 14th year under the administration of the New Hampshire Art Educators’ Association, a regional affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Inc. This competition has become a significant part of New Hampshire school art education programs.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, celebrating its 90th anniversary, was established in 1923 by Maurice Robinson, founder of Scholastic Inc., the educational company supported by the grassroots efforts of 107 regional organizations. The awards have grown into the largest and longest-running recognition program for young people in United States. In 2012, young artists and writers were granted more than $1 million in scholarships and prizes through the program. Alumni of the awards include some of the country’s leading artists and writers, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Joyce Carol Oates, Sylvia Plath, Philip Pearl Stein, Paul Newman and Richard Avedon.

Students from across the United States submit work in 16 visual art categories, with the regional recipients forwarded to New York in mid-February for national adjudication. The National Awards ceremony and exhibition will take place in June in New York City at Carnegie Hall.

Five panels of judges awarded 739 awards, of which 162 were Gold Key awards, that will represent New Hampshire at the National Competition; 297 Silver Keys and 280 Honorable Mentions also were awarded.

The annual statewide event highlights the award-winning student work. The works were on display at Pinkerton Academy’s Stockbridge Theatre, Derry. All students received certificates and Silver and Gold Key recipients received a key pin for their achievement.

Scholarships were awarded to senior students.

The New Hampshire Art Educators’ Association $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Zoe Schwartz of Keene High School.

The two Scholastic Art Awards of NH Portfolio Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to Kris LaRosa, of Bedford High School; and Stephanie Horn, of Trinity High School.

Several other students planning on attending a post-secondary school and majoring in art will have an opportunity to be considered for additional scholarships provided by the New Hampshire Institute of Art, which will provide $1,000 school scholarships to attend the NHIA for each of the 19 Gold Key portfolio recipients renewable for each of the four years in attendance at NHIA. In addition, the institute will offer $750 for each of the 30 Silver Key portfolio recipients, also renewable for four years and $500 for each of 45 Honorable Mention portfolio recipients.

The adjudication panels include college visual art professors, museum educators, retired middle and high school art educators and practicing artists. The panel blindly and silently adjudicated through a digital process.

This year’s program is made possible with the support of sponsors, the Pinkerton Academy, the New Hampshire Institute of Art, the Brown-Monson Foundation, the New Hampshire Art Educators’ Association, Coca-Cola of Northern New England, and John and Sheila Hoglund.

The program also would not be possible without the countless hours volunteer teachers and advisory board members provide and who make this program available for their students of the state.